Post Tagged with: "senior viewpoint"

Stories are power. Our journeys at Georgetown University have been marked by moments of bravery, resiliency and solidarity. As we graduate, we leave behind networks of people who have shared their struggles with us and who have listened to ours. We are connected through a shared bond of trust, which[Read More…]

On Aug. 28, 2013, then-President Barack Obama stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to address a crowd of tens of thousands in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. That event happened to coincide with my first class at Georgetown — “Microeconomics.” It was my[Read More…]

I am terribly afraid of the “in-betweens” in life — the gray spaces: having one foot in the door, one foot out and not really belonging anywhere. Yet, that is exactly where I found myself when I transferred to Georgetown my sophomore year. After I made the decision to transfer,[Read More…]

On a Kairos retreat, a contemplative retreat rooted in Ignatian spirituality, during my senior year of high school, my theology teacher gave a stirring reflection in which he revealed the difficult life lessons he learned from losing his young son and — years later — his wife to cancer. The[Read More…]

Georgetown reminds me to always check the mail. However thin the envelope might have been, its contents have led me to this moment today. Since making my decision to attend Georgetown, there have been a number of moments along the way that will make me cherish this experience for a[Read More…]

Two years ago, I made a deal with myself: Transfer or graduate early. I remember the day I spoke to my dean about my intentions to graduate early, initially my backup plan if transferring did not work out. My dean was helpful, but of course he asked me about my[Read More…]

Georgetown, my heart. Thank you. Thank you for surrounding me with passionate, intelligent, driven and justice-seeking people. Thank you for teaching me the importance of speaking up and speaking out, and for helping me to develop my voice. Thank you for putting so many professors, friends and mentors in my[Read More…]

When I was considering Georgetown, I repeatedly asked people to explain the meaning of cura personalis. The idea was simple enough, but I could not wrap my mind around how a university could live out “care for the whole person.” People would tell me that cura personalis means that chaplains-in-residence,[Read More…]

“It’s hard to be humble when you’re from Georgetown.” For years, the cheeky saying stared back at me from a needlepoint pillow in my parents’ bedroom. It belongs to my dad, Robert Gerard (COL ’82), and while the phrase is meant to be comical, the advice is far from necessary.[Read More…]

In reflecting upon our time on the Hilltop, there are several words that immediately come to mind. Hoya Saxa, cura personalis, Jesuits and basketball are just a few of the phrases we can all remember seeing on a sign or T-shirt at least once while we’ve been here. While all[Read More…]